Three police officers involved in the controversial arrest of a shoplifter are back at work and will face no further action.

PCs Brett Wright, Daniel Short and Geoffrey Keen were all suspended by Kent Police after CCTV footage of them restraining Jack Harbour emerged in October 2013.

The four-minute clip, leaked on YouTube, showed PC Wright punching Harbour twice in the head in a holding room at Debenhams in Canterbury city centre.

But it was Harbour, of Murston, Sittingbourne, who was charged with assault – until the case was dropped after an official complaint was made to police about the arrest.

All three officers, at the time based at Canterbury police station, were suspended and the case was referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission, which decided it was suitable for Kent Police to investigate.

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Mr Harbour said at the time: “It’s wound me up. If it was the other way around and I’d punched them, I’d be doing two to three years now.

“The police are there to protect you. I don’t think it’s enough that they’ve been suspended. They should get the sack and be punished.”

The CPS examined the assault allegation against PC Wright and ruled there was not enough evidence “to provide a realistic prospect of conviction”.

But all three officers were charged with conspiring to pervert the course of justice “by failing to retain and reveal” that CCTV was available from the holding room.

The trio denied any offence, and in July last year a judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to proceed with the case against PC Wright.

Then in February, by which time PC Wright had returned to work on restricted duties, the cases against PC Short and PC Keen were discontinued because the CPS could not produce PC Short’s training records.

DC Darran Bassett said at the time that the pair remained suspended while a senior officer determined if internal action would be taken.

This week a spokesman confirmed: “Following a full review of the case, no further action will be taken against the officers.

“All three have returned to normal duties, however, their line manager will be responsible for setting out expectations regarding further conduct and identifying any training opportunities.”